Oil-filling a Fiesta

This is easier and quicker than it looks!

It should really be done with the car on a flat surface so that when 
measuring the oil that's in it using the dipstick it gives a true 
reading. But even on a slope it's worth doing as any measurement is 
better than none.

Lift the bonnet:

Inside the car, on the left-hand (passenger) side at about "shin-level" 
there is a bonnet-release lever in the form of a black "flap". Pull that 
outwards and you should see the bonnet pop up a couple of inches. At the 
front of the car a little tag will have appeared between the grille and 
the front of the bonnet. This has an outwards arrow on it. Pull it. 
The bonnet should now be free to be raised fully. There is a prop about 
a foot long on the driver's side and this should be used in the holes 
provided to hold the bonnet up.

Check the oil:

There is a yellow loop just behind the radiator and just in front of the 
engine components. This is the dipstick. Pull this upwards and out. Wipe 
it, put it back in and then pull out again. You should see the oil level 
near the bottom of the dipstick and the correct level lies between the 
two notches that are about an inch from the bottom of the dipstick. If 
the oil level is below the bottom notch, or not visible at all, then oil 
must be added.

Topping-up the oil:

Just left of centre of the whole engine area is the 
oil-filler cap - it may have an illustration to this effect on 
it. Lift this and there's a hole about 3cm across. Using a suitable oil 
(e.g. 15W-40, synthetic or semi-synthetic), pour in about half a litre. 
Then leave it for 5 to 10 minutes for the oil to trickle down into the 
sump, especially in cold weather. Re-check the oil level (including the 
wipe stage) and if the oil level is still low then add a further half 
litre. Repeat all of this until the oil level is between the notches. 
It's not worth hurrying this as there is a risk of over-filling and that 
will waste oil, clog up the innards of the engine and produce smokey 
exhaust.

It is worth checking the oil level every week and always before a long 
journey.